Railroad-frog



(No Model.)

NLA. DUDLEYl RAILRQAD FROG; N0. .447,235. PmenteaFeb.24,1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT Ormea.

MASON A. DUDLEY, OF BUFFALO FORGE, VIRGINIA.

RAILROAD-FROG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Fatent No. 447,235dated February24, 1891.

Application led May 26, 1890. Serial No. 353,281. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: y

Be it known that I, MASON A. DUDLEY, of Buffalo Forge, in the county ofRockbridge and State of Virginia, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Railroad-Frogs, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates, generally, to railroadfrogs, and particularly to aspring-frog, the object of which is to provide a frog that shall be safeat all times no matter whether all the parts are in proper working orderor not.

A further object is to provide a frog of the character described thatshall be cheap, simple, and durable in construction, safe, and efficientin operation.

lVith these objects in view my invention consists of a fixed wing-rail,a plate sliding beneath the same, and a movable wing-rail secured to theplate, said plate being adapted to be sprung outwardly whenthe wheelpasses; and my invention consists, further, in certain details of.construction and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter explained.

In the drawings forming apart of this specification, Figure l is a topplan View of my improved frog. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section ofthe same. Fig. 3 shows in detail the various parts detached; and Fig. 4is a portion of track, showing the position of myimproved frog.

Referring to the drawings, B indicates a fixed rail, which is secured tothe crosseties in the usual manner. A brace C is secured upon the innerside of said rail, said brace being spiked to two adjacent ties,and-between the ties is a depending portion c, preferably integral withthe brace. The depending portion is formed with one or more horizontalbores c', extending transversely to the rail B, and through said borefor bores are passed the bolts d, formed integral with the inner side ofthe sliding plate D, the movable rail A being secured tothe outer end ofsaid plate between the rail-braces D2 and D3, the brace D2 having an eard2, adapted to pass through an aperture d', formed in the plate D, theend being clinched or riveted beneath the-said plate. The brace D8 issecured by the bolt and nut d3. The sliding plate is supported andguided by the clip` or strap E, said strap being secured to either thebrace O or to the cross-ties. It is preferred, however, to have the endsof said guiding-clip rest in recesses formed in the brace C. This braceis recessed on its outer face at C, and Working in said recess is ashoulder D', formed integral with the plate D, the purpose of saidshoulder being to limit the outward movement of the sliding plate andmovable rail.

To return the movable rail to its normal position, I employ spiralsprings F, said springs being coiled around the ends of the bolts d, theinner ends of the bores c being enlarged to permit the insertion of thesprings and form a shoulder for them to bear against. The inner ends ofthe bolts are threaded to receive the nuts F', washers or sleeves F2being interposed between the springs and nuts, as shown. The shoulder Dis so arranged that it engages the rail B, and outer rail A cannot moveoutwardly a distance sufficient to permit a wheel to slip between therails, and should the bolts become broken the movement will be limitedin precisely the same manner.

My improved device is placed a short-distance in advance of the frog,and is arranged,

as usual, to permit the passage of wheels in one direction, and when thewheel enters at -an oblique angle the movable rail will be sprung outsufficiently to permit the wheel to pass, and the moment the Wheel haspassed the springs will force the rail bach to its normal position.Should the bolts and springs become broken, the shoulder D will stillabut against the rail B and limit the movelnent of the outer rail, sothat it will be impossible for a wheel to slip between the rails, as isso often done with the ordinary switch. All of the operative parts beingbeneath the rails, there is little or no danger of the parts beingbroken.

Many of the frogs now in use have their bolts and connecting partsbroken by dragging chains or brake-rods. These accidents could not occurwith my improvement.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new isl. In arailway-frog, the combination, with a fixed wing-rail, of aspring-actuated slideplate arranged beneath the same, and a movablewing-rail secured to the said plate, substantially as shown anddescribed.

2. In a frog, the combination, with a nxed wing-rail, of a sliding platearranged beneath IOC the same and provided with a shoulder to engage thefixed rail, and a movable rail secured to the sliding plate,substantially as shown and described.

The combination, with a fixed wing-rail, of a brace secured contiguoustherewith, a plate sliding' beneath the rail and provided with boltssliding,- in the brace, and a shoulder adapted to engage the fixedWing-rail, and a movable wing-rail secured to the sliding' plate,substantially as shown and described.

LL. The combination,\vith the fixed wing-rail, of its brace recessed andapertured as described, the sliding,` plate arranged beneath the railand provided with bolts sliding in theb race and a shoulder adapted toengage the rail, the

movable wing-ral secured to the outer end ot' the plato, and springsarranged upon the inner ends of the bolts to return the movablewing-rail to its normal position, substantially as shown and described.

5. The combination, with the fixed rail B, of the brace C, recessed at Cand bored at c, the plate l), provided with the shoulder D and bolts d,the movable rail A, braces D2 and D3, guiding-clip E, springs F, andnuts F', all arranged and adapted to operate substantially as shown anddescribed.

MASON A. DUDLEY.

Witnessesz .Dams M. UPDIKE, JOSEPH S. MCCLURE.

